The present invention relates to an electrical busway system, and particularly relates to a system for coupling an electrical busway to equipment using a flange end stub connector.
Electrical busway, also known as elongated electrical distribution busway, is well known in the art. An electrical busway housing system is typically comprised of multiple pieces of tract connected end to end with one or more electrically-isolated, conductive busbars fastened to the housing, such that the system is capable of conducting electricity end to end through the busbars. The busbar is also adapted to permit electrical power tap-off at any point along the length of the busbar. Such busbars are often provided overhead, or may be provided along walls or flooring, and are used to distribute electricity through various take-off devices to equipment, appliances, lighting or other articles requiring a source of electrical energy to operate. For example, when installed in a home or office setting, it is often used to permit lighting and/or electrical sockets to be placed in one or more locations along the electrical busway. When installed in a factory or other industrial application, electrical sockets, lighting or other industrial devices may be placed on, near or along the busway to obtain electrical current from the busway.
Sections of the busway track can be joined together to form long runs for the power distribution, and such sections may be of any length, but are generally anywhere from two to twenty feet long each. The joining of two twenty foot sections to one another, for example, provides forty feet of electrical busbar, and the process can be repeated as necessary to provide electrical busway of substantial length.
Busway is also connected to equipment such as a switchboard or switchgear for example. These connections usually use an intermediate coupling called a flange end stub. Flange end stubs are designed to allow the busbar to be connected to a variety of different equipment. These connections typically utilize an extruded aluminum housing that uses external bolts through a flange to secure the housings to a flange. The aluminum housing has a joint assembly at one end that connects to a first busway, and a bolted connection on the opposite end that coupled to the flange. Unfortunately, the extruded aluminum housing is costly and results in increases the amount of scrap material.
Accordingly, while present busway connection systems are suitable for their intended purposes, there is a need in the art for a system of coupling busways in a more cost efficient manner.